Tag: genealogy books

New Resource: Genealogy Gophers

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On 5 March 2015

In Research, Resources

Genealogy Gophers: gengophers.com

Genealogy Gophers: gengophers.com

I posted on my Facebook about a new resource for genealogists called Genealogy Gophers. This resource searches over 40,000 digital books that ONLY HAVE TO DO WITH GENEALOGY! How awesome is that? I’ve used other sources like Google Books and Archives.org many times to find genealogy items. Of course, you get a lot of results that have nothing to do with genealogy. This website addresses that problem and it’s FREE! Who doesn’t love that word?

These books all come from out of copyright works that were digitized by FamilySearch.org (I love them). There is a listing of where the books come from specifically if you’re curious here.

You can search two ways:

  • Texts: This searches in the texts of books. You can look up surnames, first names, and place names. Be aware that these are exact searches but you can use wildcard searches. You can also add start and end years (those are rounded to the beginning and end of a decade) and using relative’s names that can be found near the searched for name.
  • Titles: This is pretty self-explanatory – you can look for book titles, authors, subjects, description, publisher, surname, and a place.

Search Results

I had to try this out of course. So I searched for my main research name: Witherell. That came up with over 800 results so I narrowed it down to just Michigan. And lo and behold, I found something NEW!

gengophers

That first one there, from Scituate, Massachusetts. It mentions the Rev. William Witherell and another William Witherell. I have gone through what I call the Witherell book MANY times searching for my ancestors that should be there if they were related. The book focuses on those two William Witherell lines and I am often told by other Witherell researchers that I am probably from one of those two lines and no other Witherell’s are ever mentioned; as far as starting a line in America, anyway.. But NONE of my ancestors are in there and they should be if they were related. Now, this lovely result gives me something different: “There was a John Witherell (probably a brother) in Cambridge in 1635, and afterward in Watertown.” ((Samuel Dean, History of Scituate, Massachusetts: From It’s First Settlement to 1831 (Boston: James Loring, 1881), 412))

This is the first time a Witherell other than the two William Witherell’s have been mentioned as line beginners in America! I did a little dance in my office at this!

Of course, this does not mean I am related in any way but it’s nice to see that the two William’s weren’t the only Witherell’s in existence.

Is There a Catch?

I guess. I suppose it depends on what you consider a catch. So once you get your search results you can then click on the item you want to view. You’ll see the books information on the left and then a survey on the right. You just need to complete the Google Consumer Survey to get to the book. This is how GenealogyGophers is getting their money along with the ads on that page too. The good thing is you only have to do the survey once a day so once you’ve done it for one book, you’re good for the day. Also this helps keep the site free, and again, who doesn’t like that word?

Once you take the survey you can see the book, specifically on the page your search results appear on. At the top of the book there are more search boxes so you can search for more within that one book. At the bottom are the navigation buttons; this is very similar to viewing books in archives.org.

AND! Another bonus, you can even download the PDF of the book, for free! That really is a lovely word!

 

So check out this new resource and tell me what you think in the comments below!

 

Happy hunting!

 

Essential Genealogy Books and Then Some

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On 3 March 2015

In Resources

By Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

By Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Creating a library is part of being a genealogist. Yes, there are many items that you can now get electronically and some items you may use so rarely it isn’t worth buying. However, there are some items that you turn to time and again that you’ll most likely want a copy of it at home. Especially if you’re like me – I tend to want to write in my books and sometimes break the bindings…

These books aren’t just for the professional either, although I include them in my list. These books are for every and any genealogist out there! I hope you find something new and useful here.

Basic Shelf – These are some books that most professionals will own or have access to:

Essential Materials for Me – These are items that I feel are essential to my research:

Maybe One Day…

I’m positive there will be more I’ll add to this list! There are many books on DNA, for example, that I now own, but I haven’t figured out how essential they are as I am still too new into DNA to really say for sure. There are also many great international books out there that aren’t on this list. As most of my research focuses on American genealogy, I haven’t dived into that part of genealogy too much yet.

Are there items I left out that you feel are essential or should be added to the list? Or do you have any DNA, international, ethnic, or other specific books you would recommend? Feel free to comment below!

Online Educational Resources for Every Genealogist Part 4

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On 2 December 2014

In Resources

You can find the previous posts here:  Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Part 4 of my educational resources are things that can be found online for purchase, rather than reading them online (although you may be able to do that as well; I didn’t go looking for that in particular though). These are books and journals that are considered to be some of the must-haves in the genealogy world. I found my list on the Board for Certification of Genealogist’s educational activities webpage, as well as their recommend reading list.

Books

  1. Board for Certification of Genealogists. Genealogy Standards, 50th-anniversary edition. Nashville, Tennessee: Ancestry, 2014.
    1. This set of standards is a must in my opinion. It’s nothing long and it’s very clear and concise for what the standards are for genealogists. I also have their past book, the millennium edition, which has a lot of examples that the newer edition does not. I use both!
  2. Eales, Anne Bruner, and Robert M. Kvasnicka, editors. Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives of the United States. 3rd edition. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2000.
    1. This looks to be available mostly through the National Archives. It’s on my list of books to get, especially as I want to plan a trip to the National Archives next year!
  3. Greenwood, Val D. The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy. 3rd edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2000.
    1. I have this book and read it while doing the NGS Home Study Course (now called American Genealogical Studies). The NGS course was based on the book and I did find the information quite valuable. It also helped to have another source to go to if I had questions about the coursework. I will say that some of the information is a bit outdated especially when it discussed computer/internet technology but it still has good, sound information.
  4. Jones, Thomas W. Mastering Genealogical Proof. Arlington, VA: National Genealogical Society, 2013.
    1. I used this book during the BU Course I took and loved it! Especially for the citation information. It really lays out what is needed in a citation and made it much clearer to me what should be included (I’m no expert, but this helps!). The exercises included also help to make sure you understand the subject matter.
  5. Mills, Elizabeth Shown.  Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace. 3rd ed. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2015.
    1. This should be a staple in any genealogists library, hobbyist to professional! Citing sources for genealogists isn’t always easy and this book helps to lay out examples and give information on what is needed for different types of sources. As a history major and now a genealogist, I think citations are a MUST whenever doing research. In my early years as a genealogist, I did not write down where I got the information. Now, if I want to see it in case it had other information in it (because I didn’t record that either), I have to re-find it. Citations are incredibly helpful and necessary!
  6. Mills, Elizabeth Shown, editor. Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers, and Librarians. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2001.
    1. This was one of the first books I bought and it’s where I found a lot of the information that led me to the path I am on currently. It is also required for the ProGen study group I mentioned before as well. Not to mention, there are excellent examples for client reports and contracts. Plus, it’s great for those getting started in creating a genealogy business and mentions all the little things that I hadn’t thought of before reading (like insurance, the kinds of business types, etc.).

There are obviously more books but I feel like these give someone a great start on their genealogy library.

Journals

Journals are a wonderful way to see how other professional genealogists create proof arguments, articles, methodology, citations, and more. It’s a great way to learn how to begin writing like a professional genealogist, not to mention that most genealogists find all the information fascinating and fun to read! 🙂

  1. National Genealogical Society Quarterly – by the National Genealogical Society
    1. This is the first big journal I started to receive and it’s still one of my favorites. I love all the information in the articles and love learning from each one.
  2. New England Historical and Genealogical Register – by the New England Historic Genealogical Society
    1. I just recently signed up for this one and haven’t had a chance to read through the journal yet but have had this one widely recommended to me so I’m positive it’ll be a good read.
  3. New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Record – by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
    1. This is the second oldest genealogical journal in the US and comes also highly recommended, especially for people with New York research.
  4. The American Genealogist 
    1. This is an independent quarterly journal also known as TAG. Donald Lines Jacobus founded the journal in 1922. It is known for it’s carefully documented research and work.
  5. The Genealogist – by The American Society of Genealogists
    1. Another high-quality journal known for it’s well documented research and scholarly articles. This journal isn’t a quarterly like the others and is published twice a year.

 

Any other must-haves out there? High book/journal recommendations? Any of what I mentioned something that you love? Leave a comment!

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